EST. 2011 BY LIZ RUEVEN
Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee Company

Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee Company

contributed by Melissa Roberts

Do you ever really think about your coffee? I never did.

Though my morning cup is a daily ritual, I neither cared nor thought about where the coffee came from as long as the brew was hot and strong. But coffee is big business and a controversial topic environmentally and politically–points that came to my attention recently with the discovery of Dean’s Beans.

Dean’s serves up coffee with a conscience.

The company is committed to fair trade and is certified organic. Its beans are purchased only from small farmers and cooperatives, largely made up of indigenous peoples working to maintain the integrity of their culture.

Dean in Papua, New Guinea with farmer

Organic ensures that harmful pesticides commonly used in coffee production aren’t used. And Dean’s supports shade grown, another term commonly thrown around when it comes to buying “good” coffee from the rain forest regions. It means that a healthier environment for the people and wildlife who inhabit the rain forest are protected.

Just when you’re starting to warm up to the idea of trying this coffee, the cherry on the cake (or in this case, cup) is that Dean’s is also certified kosher (SVK).

As founder and CEO Dean Cycon passionately expressed it, “Kosher is as much about getting the approval of my spiritual authority for the way we do business as it is about the formalities of certification. Dean’s Beans was created specifically as a vehicle for my Jewish values of tikkun olam and the path of mitzvot, using business as a vehicle for bringing light into the world.”

Roasted in small batches at their beanery in Orange, MA there are a number of roasts and blends to choose from with names as intriguing and exotic as their origins.

coffee farmer raking beans, Peru

Appropriately enough, my favorite roast is named after one of my all time favorite songs, Ring of Fire, and like its singer, Johnny Cash, was bold yet smooth.

Runners up are the Moka Sumatra and Rattlesnake Gutter Brew both medium-dark roasts, the former silky and rich without a hint of acidity, and the Rattlesnake, smoky and faintly sweet with a subtle bite.

Though I harbor a dark roast bias, I did try the Birdwatcher’s Blend, a nutty medium roast of Guatemalan and Mexican beans. The playfully titled Uprising Breakfast Blend from South America was more assertive for a medium roast and nicely balanced.

After all that tasting, now I’m literally buzzing about my coffee. And more importantly, Dean’s has me thinking more seriously about what I’m drinking, something I rarely wanted to do, before, in the early morning hours.

All images courtesy of Dean’s Beans.

 

Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee

50 R.W. Moore Ave.

Orange, MA 01354

www.deansbeans.com

1-800-325-3008

11 Comments

  2. Hi Liz!

    I love Dean’s Beans for their philosophy (and coffee, of course), but I had no idea that the philosophy was grounded in Jewish thought. His quotes were very moving.

    Hope you’re having a great summer. I’m off to order some more of Deans Beans!
    Janice

    Reply to this comment

    • When I learned about the basis for his business practices I was moved also. The more we know about small businesses and their owners, the more clear we can be about who to support with our buying $$. Glad you feel the same. Don’t forget to try Melissa’s recipe. It is divine!

      Reply to this comment

    • Thanks so much for sharing this video! Listening to Dean’s message is inspiring for all the right reasons. Without having had the opportunity to meet him yet, I feel that we have now had a proper introduction through your work. BRAVO!

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SIDE DISH
Photo by Jerri Graham Photography

Hi. I’m Liz and I welcome you to Kosher Like Me.

When I’m not caressing fruits and veggies at my local farmers’ market you’ll likely find me chatting with like-minded eaters, probing the scene in NYC or seeking inspiration in my spice cabinet. Life outside of this blog is all about my family, tasty travel adventures and power walks deep in the CT woods or along the shore.

Please brew a fragrant cup of tea, grab a nosh and stay a while.